Have you ever seen a production that just left you stunned? A production that had you riveted every moment? That was what I experienced at the Shed’s Griffin Theater (W. 30th Street) as I watched the fantastic production of “The Other Place.” Based on “Antigone,” this brilliant 80-minute play, captivatingly written and directed by Alexander Zeldin, was previously performed in London and all the original cast members — all excellent — were brought to New York.
“The Other Place” told the story of a troubled family handling the anniversary of a father’s death, and how his death affected his brother, his brother’s family, and his two daughters. As the play went on, the tension in the room was thick. There were mixed emotions about how to deal with the death anniversary. Chris, the brother of the deceased and uncle to Annie and Issy, wanted to make a fresh start with his life. Annie had a different take on the situation. This family had secrets of abuse, mental illness, suicide; some carried a different kind of guilt. There was so much more to this play than grieving the death of a father and brother.
This family’s deep, dark secrets took the audience on a journey of pain, hurt, questions, and hypocrisy, along with betrayal and lies. The cast was absolutely superb and kept you on the edge of your seat as they revealed this very traumatic tale.
Tobias Menzies was domineering as Chris and had a lot more going on than met the eye. Emma D’Arcy was sensational as Annie. Her character had so many layers and so much trauma to work through. You felt great empathy for her. Hers was truly a tragic character. Ruby Stokes was unforgettable as Issy. She was the younger of the daughters and had been kept in the dark about too many secrets for too long. Lorna Brown was gripping as Erica, Chris’s wife, who found herself to be a victim of sorts. Lee Braithwaite was memorable as Leni, Erica’s son. His character did well as a comic relief at times. Jerry Killick was poignant as Terry, Chris’s best friend and the keeper of Chris’s secrets.
This production definitely left the audience horrified and stunned. When the stage went dark, there were moments of silence in the room as we came to grips with the dramatic play we’d just witnessed unfold before our eyes.
The technical team on “The Other Place” delivered in all aspects and included Rosanna Vize for both set and costume design, James Farncombe for lighting design, Josh Anio Grigg for sound design, movement direction by Marcin Rudy, and Yannis Philippakis composer.
For more information about productions at the Shed, visit theshed.org.